CVE-2020-19497
📋 TL;DR
This integer overflow vulnerability in the MAT File I/O Library (matio) allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code by exploiting improper integer handling when reading MAT files. It affects any application that uses the vulnerable matio library to process untrusted MAT files. Systems processing user-uploaded MAT files or connecting to untrusted sources are particularly at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- MAT File I/O Library (matio)
📦 What is this software?
Matio by Matio Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise if the integer overflow enables memory corruption that can be weaponized.
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crash when processing malicious MAT files, potentially disrupting services that rely on matio.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and sandboxing, potentially only causing application crashes without privilege escalation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting a malicious MAT file that triggers the integer overflow. While unauthenticated exploitation is possible if the application processes external files, weaponization for RCE would require additional memory corruption techniques.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.5.18 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/tbeu/matio/commit/5fa49ef9fc4368fe3d19b5fdaa36d8fa5e7f4606
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update matio to version 1.5.18 or later. 2. Recompile any applications that statically link matio. 3. Restart services using the library.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation for MAT files
allImplement strict validation of MAT file inputs before processing with matio library
Sandbox matio processing
allRun matio file processing in isolated containers or sandboxes with limited privileges
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems using matio from untrusted networks
- Deploy application allowlisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries that might exploit the vulnerability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check matio version: `pkg-config --modversion matio` or check library version in application dependenciesCheck Version:
pkg-config --modversion matio || matio-config --version || check library file propertiesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify matio version is 1.5.18 or later and test with known safe MAT files to ensure functionality📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing MAT files
- Memory access violation errors in application logs
- Unexpected termination of services using matio
Network Indicators:
- Unusual MAT file uploads to web applications
- MAT file transfers from suspicious sources
SIEM Query:
source="application.log" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "access violation" OR "matio" OR "MAT_VarReadNextInfo5")